Jacob Marley released without charge in Scrooge probe

Jacob Marley, who was arrested earlier this week as part of Operation Dickens, will face no charges over his links with disgraced businessman Ebenezer Scrooge, police confirmed today.

Operation Dickens began when Mr Scrooge’s diary – which contained shocking descriptions of how he was introduced to a seedy underworld of sexual experimentation and exploitation – was passed to police by concerned Transport for London staff after being found in a railway station toilet. Mr Scrooge was arrested shortly afterwards, along with his associates Christine Past and Christopher Present.

According to the diary, Ms Past is said to have taken Mr Scrooge to a boarding school where he could secretly observe the children without being seen, and accompanied him to a riotous orgy at a private member’s club known as Fezziwigs. Mr Present is alleged to have kept two children – a boy and a girl – as sex slaves. These children have unfortunately never been traced as they were only referred to using code names during their imprisonment. A third man, as yet unidentified, invited Mr Scrooge to a graveyard and then attempted to introduce him to necrophilia.

In a statement released through his solicitor, Mr Marley said he had co-operated fully with investigators. His contact with Mr Scrooge was purely on a business level and he had only visited his house on one occasion, when Mr Scrooge was alone. He did admit introducing Mr Scrooge to Ms Past at a Rotary Club event, but had no knowledge of any paedophile links. Whilst he agreed he had been involved in bondage sessions, he stressed these had only ever taken place with a consenting adult.

In a separate development in the case, a young disabled boy, Timothy Cratchit, has been taken into care by Camden Council’s Child Protection team. His father Robert Cratchit is employed by Mr Scrooge and has told police he was horrified to find out that his son may have been being groomed by his “kindly uncle”.

Mr Scrooge says the journal is simply a work of festive fan fiction, provisionally titled “3 shades and a sleigh”. Police have however charged him with humbuggery.